References
A day in the life of a paramedic advanced clinical practitioner in primary care
Abstract
This ‘day-in-the-life’ article is the author's first-person account of his experiences as a paramedic working in an inner-city GP practice, while training to be an advanced clinical practitioner. The author aims to illustrate the range and complexity of the role of paramedics based in primary care, and how this role is developing beyond the traditional scope of paramedic practice. The article presents actual patient encounters, which reflect a typical working day in primary care. Through this approach, the author hopes to demonstrate how paramedics can complement and extend the skills of an established primary care team. Furthermore, studying advanced clinical practice at postgraduate level provides new and extended clinical skills and knowledge, allowing paramedics to work with greater autonomy.
Advanced paramedic roles are still in their relative infancy, and advanced roles for paramedics outside the ambulance service are even less commonplace. I am an experienced paramedic engaged on a pilot 2-year training programme to develop a small group of 14 advanced clinical practitioners (ACPs), working in a primary care setting. All 14 trainees are experienced clinicians in their own right, coming from a variety of clinical backgrounds, including accident and emergency (A&E), district nursing, and physiotherapy, as well as one other paramedic.
I left the local ambulance service in order to join the training programme, which has been funded by the local clinical commissioning group (CCG) and is coordinated by Salford Health Matters—a community-interest company that acts as the training hub. Students attend an existing university MSc programme in Advanced Clinical Practice at Salford University for 2 days each week. The course includes modules on pathophysiology, advanced clinical examination and history-taking, clinical reasoning and project management. Students are allocated a primary care placement for the duration of the 2-year programme, where they work for the remaining 3 days each week, with an assigned medical mentor, all of whom are experienced general practitioner (GP) trainers.
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